EP 1698870 A1 20060906 - Capacitive load cell apparatus having silicone-impregnated foam dielectric pads
Title (en)
Capacitive load cell apparatus having silicone-impregnated foam dielectric pads
Title (de)
Kapazitive Kraftmesszelle mit durch Silikon imprägnierten dielektrischen Schaumstoffblöcken.
Title (fr)
Cellule de charge capacitive avec des coussins en mousse imprégné de silicone.
Publication
Application
Priority
US 7004505 A 20050302
Abstract (en)
A capacitive load cell (12) includes upper and lower capacitor plates (30, 28) and an intermediate array of dielectric pads (22a) formed of silicone-impregnated open-cell urethane foam (i.e., gel pads). The silicone essentially displaces air that would otherwise be trapped in the foam, contributing to a dielectric (22) having minimal humidity-related variability. The upper capacitor plate is defined by an array of individual charge plates (30), the lower capacitor plate defines a ground plane conductor (28) common to each of the charge plates (30), and the dielectric pads (22a) are disposed between the ground plane conductor (28) and each of the charge plates (30), leaving channels (32) between adjacent dielectric pads (22a). When occupant weight is applied to the seat (10), the dielectric pads (22a) transmitting the weight distend laterally into the channels (32) to reduce the separation between the respective upper and lower capacitor plates (30, 28), and the consequent change in capacitance is detected as a measure of the applied force and the force distribution (14).
IPC 8 full level
G01G 19/414 (2006.01); G01G 7/06 (2006.01)
CPC (source: EP US)
G01G 7/06 (2013.01 - EP US); G01G 19/4142 (2013.01 - EP US)
Citation (applicant)
- US 4266263 A 19810505 - HABERL RAINER, et al
- US 4836033 A 19890606 - SEITZ PETER [DE]
- US 5878620 A 19990309 - GILBERT STEVEN CHARLES [US], et al
- US 6448789 B1 20020910 - KRAETZL JUERGEN [DE]
- US 6499359 B1 20021231 - WASHELESKI JOHN M [US], et al
Citation (search report)
- [AD] US 5878620 A 19990309 - GILBERT STEVEN CHARLES [US], et al
- [AD] US 4266263 A 19810505 - HABERL RAINER, et al
- [A] US 2005043876 A1 20050224 - FULTZ WILLIAM W [US], et al
- [PX] US 6999301 B1 20060214 - SANFTLEBEN HENRY M [US], et al
Designated contracting state (EPC)
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
DOCDB simple family (publication)
EP 1698870 A1 20060906; EP 1698870 B1 20081105; AT E413592 T1 20081115; DE 602006003451 D1 20081218; US 2006196276 A1 20060907; US 7159471 B2 20070109
DOCDB simple family (application)
EP 06075437 A 20060227; AT 06075437 T 20060227; DE 602006003451 T 20060227; US 7004505 A 20050302